We can keep this one short and sweet. Oregon’s LeGarette Blount needs to get arrested for assault like any other person in the world would after he dealt with the ass whupping Boise State put on his team by sucker punching the Broncos’ Byron Hout on the sideline after the game.
Here is the video:
This guy needs to go. He needs to be arrested. He needs to be thrown off of Oregon’s football team. On top of disgracing the program by showing that sportsmanship is absolutely meaningless to him, he committed an obvious assault against a guy who wasn’t even looking at him. Where I come from we have two words to describe someone like that: “criminal” and “coward”.
That assault had nothing to do with the heat of the game. I understand that fights happen. I even like them. Watching them. Being in them. Occasionally paying 49.95 to watch one on pay-per-view. But that was not a fight. That was assault. And possibly battery. I am not sure what the difference is, but the two terms seem to travel in a pair, and I think Blount covered all his bases with that nutless Pearl Harbor attack on Paul. Whatever the technical charge should be, it is pretty clear most of us would be charges with some kind of penalty if we got caught doing that on camera.
I realize Hout was inappropriately taunting Blount, but his coach was dealing with that at the time of the punch. In life, there are times when all of us would like to clock someone for their obnoxious behavior. But we don’t do it because on top of it being the wrong way to deal with conflict, it is against the law.
For some reason, the Boise State police department has chosen not to make it a legal matter.
From the AP:
“Our position is that we have full confidence in the NCAA that they’re going to address that. As far as from a criminal standpoint there’s nothing that I’m aware of that we’re doing,” Lt. Bryan Hagler of the Boise Police Department told The Associated Press
Uhm…why not? Is it legal to go around punching people in the face on the Boise State campus? Will they let the NCAA address it the next time they find a bag of weed in some freshman’s dorm room? Will they consult the NCAA for a ruling the next time they have a streaker handcuffed naked to a chair in the waiting room of the Boise State U police department?
I understand that we have a double standard that lets athletes get away with stuff nobody else can, and I accept that. But this is over the top. A straight up assault on national TV is an NCAA matter?
According to the Boise Police Department’s website, the Boise State Unit has very specific duties:
Our function is to provide continuous police protection for the campus and to handle all criminal matters occurring on Campus Property.
That criminal matter occurred on campus. Way to follow through. The funniest part is, the doughnut inhaler they have pictured on the website making sure that justice is served actually appears to be working security at a football game.
The BSU also provides contact info in case you witness a public safety issue on campus:
If you have a public safety issue you’d like to bring up to BPD at BSU, e-mail Sgt. Doug Schoenborn at dschoenborn@cityofboise.org.
Somebody should email them about the dude running around blindsiding students and laying them out with sucker punches. I believe they have the culprit caught on camera, and the dummy seems to actually have his name stitched across the back of his shirt. If the BPD could stop inhaling doughnuts or potatoes, or whatever it is cops finagle for free in Idaho, and put their top detectives on the case, I am sure they could solve this mystery.
Blount had this to say to the AP:
“I just apologize to anyone watching that,” Blount said. “I just apologize to all of our fans and all of Boise’s fans. That’s something I shouldn’t have done. I lost my head.”
If the BPD truly cared about keeping students safe and enforcing the law, he would be telling that to the judge.
Update:
I keep reading that the NCAA won’t act because the punch technically happened after the game ended. So much for the BPD successfully passing the buck. Well, they passed it successfully, but not in any way that shows they actually care about enforcing the law. Apparently, any actions taken against Blount will have to be taken by the Oregon U Brass. I’m sure his status as their best running back won’t affect his punishment. The world is watching.
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Mason Lerner
Mason Lerner is a freelance writer and stand-up comedian in Austin, TX. His works has appeared in the Houston Chronicle, ESPN the Magazine and many other publications. Lerner is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Anthropology. ...
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Allen says:
I don't know Idaho's laws very well, but it may be possible that a complaint needs to be filed by the victim before the police can charge the assailant.
Mason Lerner says:
The BPD could easily have said that if it were the case instead of passing the buck to the NCAA. That is a pretty bogus excuse. BTW, Blount did more than punch Paul. He punched a teammate. I read where he attacked, or tried to attack, fans. He is lucky he didn't insight a riot, which is a crime in and of itself.
Isaiah says:
After witnessing Blounts temper geting the best of him last night, it gives a lesson to all athletes that 1.) You will definitely have to endure the consequences of the wrong actions committed and there is no getting around it. 2.) Even though a knuckle head remark by Byron Hout may have provoked Blount into a short uncontrollable rage, it still wasn't an excuse to respond violently. A test of character will always be given at any sporting event, and patience is probably high on an athletes character list, so being able to Maintain your poise is a requirement
Whatever reprimand Blount receives I hope he learns his lesson. Nothing is gained through this display of immaturity.
Mike says:
We'll.... They basically kicked him off the team. It's that a strong enough penalty for you. I agree that the guy is a punk. I also think it's all relevant to the football game which is hella violent. NCAA is pretty strict about policing their own. Very different from the NFL or other pro sporting leagues. I think you've over reacted with this article
Mason Lerner says:
He was suspended by the university, not the NCAA. The NCAA has nothing to do with this because it did not happen during the game. You should read before you comment because it appears you have no idea what you are talking about. Oregon acted unilaterally to suspend him before even waiting to hear from the Pac-10. They acted swiftly because of the severity of the situation. If you think that a sucker punch after the game is relevant to the game of football, you are clueless.
Mark Shuffenstein says:
What a punk Byron Hout is! You can tell he is d-bag by that silly smile. He was all impressed with himself until he got jacked. Serves him right. Keep his mouth shut. I guess you gotta suspend L.B., but if he did it in a bar and not in the game...he'd probably only be suspended for a couple of games. If he just plain robbed people like they do in Florida State, he'd only miss a game or two. Still, I love seeing Hout get leveled because I can tell he is a d1ckwad.
Byron says:
Smoke a joint, hot head.
Byron says:
Your a dick. Smoke a blunt, hot head
Mason Lerner says:
Trust me. Blunts don't help my condition.
Sylvester "Champ" Stokes says:
Blount knocked his cracka azz out....white people thnk they cud say wuteva tha fuck they wanna say. I'm surprised his cracka azz aint dead. 119 Crossbend Dr. Killeen Texas, holla at me if u got some smart shit ta say
Mason Lerner says:
Awesome! Now I know where to mail your "Best Comment Ever" plaque to.
Barry says:
Yeah, I was surprised Blount was not arrested. He was suspended for the rest of the season( he was a Senior), so his college career is over as a player.
The Boise player could press charges and have Blount extradited back to Boise for his trial. Bet he won't ask for a jury trial though. Man, would that be a scene. The jury shows up wearing Boise jerseys
Lloyd says:
Take the $50,000 per year to lock somebody up and multiply by the number of punches thrown in United States each year. The result will be one huge tax bill and no benefit to society.
Mason Lerner says:
I didn't say we should lock him up and throw away the key. Are you saying punching people in the face when there is no need should be legal?
Mason Lerner says:
"The jury shows up wearing Boise jerseys" Hilarious.
And even though I posted this shortly after the incident and it was kind of a knee-jerk reaction, I never said Blount should do hard time. I never said he should never have a chance to get past the incident. I just thought he should be arrested. And I stand by that. But if he can get himself on the straight and narrow in the long run, it will be better off for everyone involved that he wasn't. But what he did was a crime.
Barry says:
Mason, this article may shed some light on "the punch, arrest charges, time.etc.
http://www.idahostatesman.com/boisestatefootball/story/889221.html
worst case, IF charges were filed by Holt, would be a misdemeanor, since he was not hurt. Still, that jury trial would have been a sight to see.
Mason Lerner says:
That was a good read. I still believe the whole misdemeanor is a cop out. Any one else who behaved like that in the stadium would have been arrested. They would have sorted out the charges downtown. No matter what anybody tries to say, a blindside cold-cocking like that merits an arrest. That story also did not consider his behavior after the event. But in the end, he wasn't arrested. He needs to learn from it. Maybe learning about consequences now will save his career in the long run. And no doubt, any kind of arrest would have mad that harder.
Anonymous says:
Bryon Hout was wrong to touch Blount's shoulder while calling him a bitch. Hout went down like one. Even his friends probably clown him over it.